Even in 2014 there are still places in the world where people are born and die as slaves. Where belonging to a specific caste or class, condemns you to an existence that is almost impossible to imagine. - See more at: http://www.unpo.org/article/15809#sth

UNPO concluded a 9-day fact-finding mission to Mauritania, during which first-hand evidence of slavery practices was collected. In addition, UNPO met with civil society organizations and convened a roundtable with different relevant actors on the practice

Black Mauritanians are still subject to slavery-like practices, including sexual violence and discrimination, a UN human rights expert has said.
The UN special rapporteur on racism, Mutuma Ruteere, told the Guardian that generations of people, particular

Slavery, something which is often thought to be a part of history, is still a reality in present-day Mauritania, although only few know about its existence. Anti-slavery NGOs estimate the number of slaves in the country to be up to half a million.

According to official estimates there are 21 million people trapped in some form of slavery. From people enslaved by debt to migrants trapped by labour and child brides, we explore the reality of slavery for many people in the modern world

Slavery is explicitly permitted in the Koran. Recently Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan, a prominent Saudi religious leader called for slavery to be re-legalized throughout the kingdom. According to the Sheik, a member of the Senior Council of Clerics: "

(IRA), an organisation working for the eradication of slavery in Mauritania, is calling for a more liberal interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence in order to end the centuries old practice of slave ownership in the country.